Changing Channels

9

"We now return to 'Supernatural.'"

"Son of a bitch!" Dean exclaimed while the audience laughed and clapped.

(Y/n) moved past her brother, looking back at him with a glare while she retrieved the woman. "I am really, really, very sorry. But also not sorry," she added the last bit, quiet enough that only the audience would laugh at it- which they did. "But we have work to do."

The woman frowned at (Y/n). "But we did work," she protested, then turned to Dean with a smile. "In-depth." The eldest Winchester smirked, watching the woman's backside as she left, making the audience cheer and shout.

"How long do we have to keep doing this?" Dean asked his siblings through his teeth, a strained smile on his face.

Sam looked back at the audience. "I don't know." (Y/n) eyed the door, then shrugged, not knowing either. (Her brothers still didn't realize the reasoning behind the 'game') "Maybe forever?" The audience laughed at his hesitation. "We might die here."

As the audience laughed, Dean turned to them and glared. "How is that funny? Vultures."

The door to the 'motel' suddenly opened, a beat-up Castiel making an entrance. More cheers and applause erupted around them.

"You okay?" The siblings asked in unison.

Castiel shook his head, dismissing that. "I don't have much time."

"What happened?" Sam interrupted.

The angel sighed. "I got out." The audience 'oo'ed' in interest.

"From where?" Dean pried, but the angel held up a hand, dismissing the subject once more. He had a more important thing to say.

"Listen to me. Something is not right. This thing is more powerful than it should be."

The eldest raised an eyebrow. "What thing-- the trickster?"

"If it is a trickster," Castiel replied back quickly, eyeing (Y/n) who looked like a deer facing headlights. That answered his counter, and even who her soulmate was.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked further.

But before the angel could reply, he was thrown up against the wall. The audience gasped as he grunted and hit the floor.

"Hello!" The trickster hopped in the room, making the siblings frown in shock. "Thank you!" He held up a hand as the audience cheered. Castiel lifted his head, his eyes widening at the sight of him, but the duct tape over his mouth prevented him from speaking. "Please, stop." He told the audience, which sort of came out in the voice of 'Oh stop it, but keep going.'

Castiel stood up and narrowed his eyes. "Hi, Castiel!" Gabriel greeted with a smile. The other angel looked at the siblings with wide eyes, right before Gabriel sent him away with a frown and a flick of his wrist.

"You know him?" Sam asked, looking back at the 'trickster.'

"Where did you just send him?" Dean demanded the same time as Sam's question was.

Gabriel smiled lightly. "Relax. He'll live," he paused and lifted his heels a few times. "Mmmaybe." Which earned more laughter from the audience.

The eldest Winchester, done with the entire situation, stormed over to the front. "You know what? I'm done with the monkey dance, okay? We get it."

The 'trickster' tilted his head. "Yeah? Get what, hotshot?"

"Playing our roles, right? That's your game?"

Gabriel nodded. "That's half the game."

"What's the other half?" Sam asked for them.

Gabriel gestured with his hands to the audience. "Play your roles out there."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean snapped.

The 'trickster' frowned at the fact of them not getting it yet. "You know-" he gestured to Sam, using an action movie's narrator's voice. "Sam, starring as Lucifer," then to Dean, "Dean, starring as Michael. Your celebrity deathmatch! Play your roles!"

"You want us to say 'yes' to those sons of bitches?" Sam asked, shocked that someone like the 'trickster' would mention something like that. He's a pagan god, shouldn't he be not wanting this to happen?

Gabriel nodded. "Hells yeah. Let's light this candle!"

(Y/n) crossed her arms, not understanding his point on the matter quite yet. That hasn't come into a discussion for them. "If they do that, the world will end!" Sam butted in before she could ask.

"Yeah? And whose fault is that? Who popped Lucifer out of the box, hm?" He shot an eyebrow in the air at Sam before facing Dean again. "Look, it's started- you started it. It can't be stopped. So, let's get it over with!"

Oh. (Y/n) furrowed her eyebrows.

"Heaven or Hell, which side you on?" Dean asked with narrowed eyes.

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm not on either side."

The eldest Winchester smiled. "You're grabbing ankle for Michael or Lucifer- which one is it?"

The 'trickster' let out a breathy scoff and stepped closer to Dean. "You listen to me, you arrogant dick. I don't work for any of those S.O.B.s, believe me." He whispered the last bit, his lips curled down into a frown.

"Hmm..." Dean shook his head. "Oh, you're somebody's bitch."

Gabriel grabbed Dean's jacket collar and threw the hunter up against the motel's door. "Don't you ever, ever presume to know what I am." He hissed back, letting go of one side to use his hand. "Now, listen very closely. Here's what's gonna happen," he pointed at the male Winchesters. "You're gonna suck it up, accept your responsibilities, and play the roles that destiny has chosen for you."

(Y/n) rubbed a hand on her collarbone, feeling an uncomfortable amount of anger that wasn't her own.

"And if we don't?" Sam asked, keeping anger of his own at bay.

The 'trickster' gave Sam a sick grin. "Then you'll stay here in tv Land... forever." He paused to think for a moment, shrugging. "300 channels and, uh, nothing's on." Then he snapped his fingers, the motel room scene faded around them.